The invention relates to a reference voltage circuit for generating at least one constant reference voltage independently of fluctuations of a reference potential.
Reference voltage circuits for generating reference voltages are required in many circuits. There are applications in which exact reference voltages Vref with respect to a common mode voltage (VCM), which varies within certain voltage limits, are required. FIG. 1 shows such an application. On an SLIC circuit (SLIC: Subscriber Line Interface Circuit), a terminal device is connected via a twisted two-wire telephone line. The SLIC circuit generates from the line currents measured via current sensors a transversal current IT for the voice signal and a longitudinal current IL for the necessary control information. The currents IIL, IIT generated by the SLIC circuit are converted by means of resistors RIL, RIT into corresponding voltages for further processing by a CODEC circuit. In this case, the two resistors RIL, RIT are respectively wired between an input-terminal pad IT, IL of the CODEC circuit and a common-mode reference voltage terminal VCM.
The CODEC circuit includes a reference voltage source for generating a reference voltage Vfloat. This reference voltage Vfloat is applied to the common-mode voltage terminal VCM via a buffer B. The reference voltage generated by the reference voltage source may vary within certain voltage limits, typically by +/xe2x88x92100 mV.
In the case of the conventional CODEC circuit represented in FIG. 1, the generated reference voltage Vfloat is applied to a noninverting amplifier V, which is set for boosting the resistors R1, R2.
To generate an exact reference voltage at the output node K of the amplifier V, after the production of the CODEC semiconductor chip the voltage is measured at the node K via a measuring terminal PADmeas and the resistor R2 of the amplifier circuit V is programmed by means of a programming logic PL in such a way that the desired exact reference potential is present at the node K. For this purpose, the programming logic PL is programmed by an external testing device via a data interface D in dependence on the measured voltage Vmeas. The programmable resistor R2 is, for example, a multiplicity of programmable laser fuses.
After the setting or trimming of the amplifier circuit V, a constant reference voltage is present at the node K. This constant reference voltage is amplified by a voltage amplifier by a gain factor n and applied to one end of a resistor string, which comprises a multiplicity of resistors R. The constant reference voltage present at the node is also connected directly to a center tap of the resistor string. On the resistor string, voltages drop across the various resistors, so that reference voltages which relate to the negative supply voltage Vss are generated at the node of the resistor string. The resistor string shown in FIG. 1 has m resistors R connected in series for generating m+1 reference voltages. In this case, all the nodes or reference voltages of the resistor string relate to the negative supply voltage Vss of the CODEC circuit. In the case of the example represented in FIG. 1, the generated reference voltages are used as threshold voltages for the comparators of the CODEC circuit.
The circuit represented in FIG. 1 for generating the reference voltages for the comparators has several considerable disadvantages. The circuit for generating the reference voltage is relatively complex in terms of its circuitry, since, after producing the semiconductor chip, the amplifier V has to be set or trimmed by programming the resistor R2 to generate an absolutely constant voltage Vconstant. Therefore, the amplifier V requires a programming logic PL which is relatively complex in terms of its circuitry, to which moreover it must be possible for a testing device to be connected via a PSP data interface D. In addition, a measuring terminal PADmeas must be provided on the CODEC circuit in order to measure the floating reference voltage Vfloat initially occurring at the node K for setting the amplifier. The measuring or testing of the CODEC chip produced for setting the amplifier circuit V requires a relatively long testing time, so that the production costs for producing the CODEC chip increase. Furthermore, in the semiconductor CODEC chip there must be provided a dedicated measuring pad exclusively for setting the amplifier V.
A further considerable disadvantage of the circuit represented in FIG. 1 for generating a reference voltage according to the prior art is that the comparators within the CODEC circuit may make incorrect decisions. The reference voltage Vfloat generated by the reference voltage source is not constant during the service life, but fluctuates within certain limits. At the same time, the reference voltage Vfloat generated by the reference voltage source depends on the temperature and is influenced by process variations within the production process. In addition, the reference voltage changes over time due to ageing processes on the semiconductor chip. The common mode voltage VCM given out over the buffer B varies in the same way as the reference voltage Vfloat, also with the addition of a buffer offset voltage, which likewise depends on the ambient temperature T. It is therefore necessary to provide the relatively complex amplifier circuit V with the integrated programming logic PL, which however is set in a one-off trimming operation after the production of the semiconductor chip and cannot compensate for subsequent fluctuations of the reference voltage Vfloat.
The voltage amplifier connected to the node K likewise has an offset voltage and additionally amplifies with a constant factor n fluctuations occurring. On account of the propagation of errors, the reference voltages VrefI present at the comparators vary greatly in dependence on the temperature T and the time t.
The reference voltages picked off at the nodes of the resistor string also relate to the negative supply voltage Vss, so that fluctuations or disturbances of the negative supply voltage Vss have a direct effect on the reference voltages VrefI. Fluctuations of the negative supply voltage Vss or ground bouncing consequently lead to direct fluctuations of the reference voltages VrefI for the comparators of the CODEC circuit.
The signaling voltages present at the inputs IT, IL, which are picked off at the resistors RIL, PIT, relate to the common mode voltage VCM, so that the strong fluctuations of the reference voltage VrefI that occur lead to incorrect decisions within the comparators.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a reference voltage circuit for generating reference voltages which generates constant reference voltages independently of fluctuations of a reference voltage.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a reference voltage with the features specified in patent claim 1.
The invention provides a reference voltage circuit for generating at least one constant reference voltage with a first current mirror circuit, which is connected to a positive supply voltage (VDD) and mirrors a reference current with a first current mirror factor (N1) to form a first mirrored reference current,
a second current mirror circuit, which is connected to a negative supply voltage (Vss) and mirrors the reference current with a second current mirror factor (N2) to form a second mirrored reference current,
a resistor string, which comprises a plurality of resistors connected in series and is wired between the two current mirror circuits,
one end of the resistor string being supplied with the first mirrored reference current from the first current mirror circuit and the other end of the resistor string delivering the second mirrored reference current to the second current mirror circuit,
the two current mirror factors (N1, N2) of the current mirror circuits being equal, so that constant reference voltages can be picked off at the resistors of the resistor string.
The reference voltage circuit according to the invention has the advantage that it generates constant reference voltages, for example for comparators, independently of fluctuations of a reference potential, without provision of an additional trimming or setting circuit.
This has in turn the advantage that no dedicated measuring terminal pad and no programming logic PL with associated data interface D is necessary, and it is possible to dispense with trimming of the integrated circuit.
In the case of a preferred embodiment of the reference voltage circuit according to the invention, the first current mirror circuit additionally mirrors the reference current with a current mirror factor of 1 and delivers the mirrored reference current to the second current mirror circuit as a reference current.
The reference voltages picked off at the resistors of the resistor string are preferably picked off at high impedance.
In the case of a preferred embodiment of the reference voltage circuit according to the invention, there is an even number of resistors within the resistor string.
Preferably no current flows away at the center tap of the resistor string.
In the case of a preferred embodiment of the reference voltage circuit according to the invention, the reference current is generated by a voltage-controlled current source.
In this case, the voltage-controlled current source is preferably connected to a reference voltage source.
The reference voltage circuit according to the invention is preferably integrated in a semiconductor chip.
In this case, the center tap of the resistor string is preferably in connection with a reference voltage pad of the semiconductor chip.
The reference voltages generated by the reference voltage circuit according to the invention preferably lie symmetrically between the positive supply voltage (Vdd) and the negative supply voltage (Vss) of the semiconductor chip.
A preferred embodiment of the reference voltage circuit according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures to explain features pertinent to the invention.